Raye's Sunshine
by Mitch
Summary: Lita notices something between Raye and Ken. Then, a Cardian attacks.


  
Raye's Sunshine  
by Mitch   
wells17@gte.net  
  
It's going to be a good day, I can just tell. We're all waiting  
for Ken at the park. He's never officially met my friends, so why  
waste more time? He arrives, looking vagely surprised about the   
number of people there. I run up to him.  
  
"Ken, hi! How are you?"   
  
"Better," he says, "How are you?"  
  
"I've...had some troubles, but I'm okay. Anyway, meet everyone.  
This is Serena Tsukino from Crossroads."  
  
"Hi!"  
  
"Her cat, Luna."  
  
"Meow."   
  
"Amy Anderson from Crossroads."  
  
"Good afternoon."  
  
"Mina Aino from Grass Valley"  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Her cat, Artemis."  
  
"Mew."  
  
"And Raye Hino from Brookdale."  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Um, hi."  
  
Ken seemes a little strange introducing himself. Raye looks a  
little different as well.  
  
"So, Lita," Ken asks me, "how did you make friends with girls   
from different schools?"  
  
"Well," I explain, "Serena and Amy already knew Raye and we   
just...ran into Mina one day." It was a stretch of truth, but I had  
to keep our secret even from him. How would I explain it? His   
childhood friend is a princess of the planet Jupiter and she and four  
other girls are soldiers in sailor suits? It wasn't too hard on me   
when I learned all this, but still...  
  
"By the way," Ken askes, "what's with the moon-shaped bald spots  
on Luna and Artemis."  
  
"Uh, they were just like that when Serena and Mina found them."  
Technically true, but i hope he doesn't ask me any more about this. I  
wonder how the cats feel, since they have to pretend that they can't  
talk.  
  
Ken turns to Raye.  
  
"Hey," he says "I think I've seen you before. You're that   
pristess at the temple on Cherry Hill?"  
  
"Yeah," she says, "you've been there?"  
  
"Well, to pray occasionally. Usually, I already have everything   
I want."   
  
"Well, life is demanding sometimes."  
  
Raye's behavior is surprising me. She and Ken are really hitting  
it off. It's almost as if...  
  
I smile. I feel a little jealous, but I almost hope I'm right.  
  
The others are busy today, so Ken, Raye, and myself take a walk  
down through Shinjuku. We stroll through the park of Shinjuku Gyoen,   
past the temple of Taisoji, past the Hanazono Shrine, and we stopped   
at the department stores of Isetan, Marui, and Mitsukoshi.  
  
All the time, I think about how well Raye and Ken are getting   
along. What concerns me the most about this is thinking of what Chad,   
the guy who works at Raye's temple and has a crush on her, might say.   
Well, maybe I'm overconcerned. I seem to see love where it isn't,  
usually for me. Still, I'm glad they seem to like each other.  
  
About that time, a monster appeared. I groan. I'm just not in  
the mood today. Well, Serena would feel worse.  
  
This monster looks like a saleslady with clothesracks for arms.   
They just get stranger...  
  
"I am...CLOTHESLINE!" she announces, "I've come to take the   
energy of young shoppers!"  
  
Again? Now our enemies are backtracking themselves.  
  
"Get back, Lita! I'll shield you!"  
  
Good old Ken, but if he thinks I'll just step back...  
  
"Sorry, Ken," I say, "but remember last time...!"  
  
"No!" exclaimes Raye, "You've suffered before, Ken. Lita and I  
will hold it off. You go. We'll catch up with you later!"  
  
"But..."  
  
"Trust me, Ken," I tell him, "you can't really win in an argument  
with Raye. Just go on. Don't worry about us."  
  
Ken looked at me in disbelief, but slowly nodded. He head off,   
looked back, and kept running.  
  
"Ready?" Raye asks me.  
  
"Ready," I say.  
  
We both duck between the buildings. Fortunatly, all the other   
people had left.   
  
"MARS POWER!"  
  
"VENUS POWER!"  
  
We transform into Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter. We exit the   
ally and face the monster.  
  
"Threatening innocent shoppers, huh?"  
  
"Well, prepare to be pushed back! We're Sailor Scouts!"  
  
"Champions of justice!"  
  
"And in the name Jupiter...!"  
  
"In the name of Mars...!"  
  
"We're here to right wrongs and triumph over evil...!"  
  
"AND THAT MEANS YOU!"  
  
Clothesline reponds by firing razor-sharp clothes at us. We   
dodge out of the way.   
  
"I suggest we split up and take her by the sides!"  
  
"No!" says Mars, "Let's get her together!"  
  
I silently groan. I used to consider myself critical of others  
before I met Raye. The thing one has to understand about her is that   
this is her way of showing that she cares.  
  
Surprisingly, Ken returns. I guess he got tired of waiting for   
us. Not good for all involved.  
  
"Get out of here," I shout, "NOW!"  
  
I try to sound more concerned than angry. I understand,   
however. He was worried about Lita and Raye and came back for them.  
I'll have to rescue him without hinting that I know him.   
  
Ken dodges Clothesline's attack well, but he should leave this to  
the professionals. I leapt at him and tackle him.  
  
"You're on dangerous grounds," I tell him.  
  
"Looks like it," he tells me.   
  
He looks at me strangly. Does he recognize me?  
  
"Have you seen my friends, Lita and Raye?" he asks.  
  
I breath a sigh of relief. He doesn't know, but I still need to  
think of something.   
  
"They...left," I tell him, "I guess they were going to find you."  
Not quite accurate, but we were going to catch up to him after this.  
  
"Jupiter, come on!" says Mars, "We have to get this floating   
clothesrake!"  
  
I groan and tell Ken to stay put.   
  
"MARS FIREBIRD STRI...!"  
  
Clothesline hits her with hard-pressed jackets. I rush over to   
her.  
  
"Mars! You okay?"  
  
"I've felt worse. Maybe,...we should try your idea."  
  
It really bothers Raye to learn when she's wrong. I should   
remember to make up to her for it.  
  
We jump to opposite sides of Clothesline. This time, Mars is   
protecting Ken.   
  
"Just...try to be more careful, all right?" she tells him.   
Again, this how you knw that she cares. And when she pauses, you know  
she's feeling more worried than irritated at the moment.  
  
"MARS FIREBIRD STRIKE!"  
  
"JUPITER THUNDER DRAGON!"  
  
Our respective attacks hit Clotheline from both sides. She   
changes into a tarot card, like all the monsters we've fought lately,  
and her picture burns out. During all this, Mars and I leap away,  
leaving Ken in blissful ignorance.  
  
After changing back, Raye and I wait for Ken on the other end   
of our walk. He arrives, looking confused. Raye explains that we have  
been waiting for him a little after he went that way. He explains how  
he went baack for us and met two of the Sailor Scouts. We pretend to  
be surprised.  
  
On our way back to the park, Raye and Ken look at each other,  
almost nervously. Raye finally gulps and says the following.  
  
"Look, Ken, you're a nice guy and all, but... there's sort of a   
guy. Well, he's more like a frend. Anyway, I..."  
  
"Oh, that's okay," says Ken, "we can still..."  
  
"Be friends? Yeah, why not?"  
  
I feel a little sorry for them, but I'm glad Raye didn't give up   
on Chad. I think there's something special between the two of them.  
Sometimes, I wonder if I'm just seeing love everywhere. Maybe that's   
just the type of person I am.  
  
Ken leaves us that evening. As he goes, I ask Raye if she's   
all right.  
  
"Well," she says, "at least it was fast, unlike me and Darien.  
Still, I keep telling myself that Serena deserves him. And, in this  
case, you're lucky to have such an understanding friend."  
  
"You mean we're both lucky," I correct her, "Want to tell the   
others about today?"  
  
"Later," she says, "I feel like a bath after I get home."  
  
I look at her sadly. At least, I'm used to heartbreak.  
  
"Maybe I'll spend the weekend teaching Chad about the   
supernatural," she says, "I haven't spent much time with him lately."  
  
I smile.  
  
END   
  



End file.
